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Forging strong relationships with your suppliers can be critical to the success of your company. And like any relationship you need to embrace building and strengthening that relationship. You may only see yourself as a customer and them as a vendor but your relationship can be much more than that. You may say that there are other suppliers out there and that may well be true but will having to start all over give you more value or less. And if you do a lot of business with other small companies will a big company appreciate you as much as that fellow small business does. Your relationships are not something that should be overlooked.
Relationship building in business never ends but it starts on that first day when your dream is born. When you take your concept and begin to turn it into reality. And no matter what type of business you are in you will need suppliers of one sort or another. Whether it is for your phone service, landlord, banker, or a soft drink supplier. Everyone you buy something from whether it is a product or service is a form of supplier. Now obviously some suppliers will only require limited contact, and going to your local office supply store and buying something won't provide opportunities to build a meaningful relationship but plenty of opportunities will present themselves.
Many of those opportunities will come through phone calls with sales representatives. This can turn into sit down meetings with them. Many times they'll come to the office for a visit. One of my standard practices has always been to get to know the sales reps that come to visit. And whether you need something from them or not ask them to drop by. The better they know you the more they will appreciate your business with them. Especially if they've worked for the same company for many years.
I've always made it a point to show them around our facility. So that they could get a feel for what we do and where we're going. I've always made sure to tell them how much I appreciate working with them and that I'm glad they’re along for the ride. Using the saying my success is your success may sound kind of cliché but it has always been the point I was trying to make. My suppliers are my partners and with they're help I can succeed. And my business can thrive.
You do need to remember that you're still their customer and they will look out for their own best interests first just as you would yours. So when you are on the lookout for new suppliers especially in the first months of your company’s existence you need to be diligent when searching for vendors. Especially if they're going to be critical to your existence by supplying something you have to have that few companies offer.
So you need to realize that just as your relationship with your customers is important so to is the relationship with your suppliers. Because when you need something in a hurry, or you need to stretch a payment out a little, or you have a large job that won't pay for awhile and you need special terms they'll be more willing to listen to you if they know you by more than a customer number. In business all your relationships are important.
Cash Miller is the Editor of SmallBusinessDelivered.com and hosts his own blog at www.SmallBusinessDelivered.com/cash-millers-blog.
Relationship building in business never ends but it starts on that first day when your dream is born. When you take your concept and begin to turn it into reality. And no matter what type of business you are in you will need suppliers of one sort or another. Whether it is for your phone service, landlord, banker, or a soft drink supplier. Everyone you buy something from whether it is a product or service is a form of supplier. Now obviously some suppliers will only require limited contact, and going to your local office supply store and buying something won't provide opportunities to build a meaningful relationship but plenty of opportunities will present themselves.
Many of those opportunities will come through phone calls with sales representatives. This can turn into sit down meetings with them. Many times they'll come to the office for a visit. One of my standard practices has always been to get to know the sales reps that come to visit. And whether you need something from them or not ask them to drop by. The better they know you the more they will appreciate your business with them. Especially if they've worked for the same company for many years.
I've always made it a point to show them around our facility. So that they could get a feel for what we do and where we're going. I've always made sure to tell them how much I appreciate working with them and that I'm glad they’re along for the ride. Using the saying my success is your success may sound kind of cliché but it has always been the point I was trying to make. My suppliers are my partners and with they're help I can succeed. And my business can thrive.
You do need to remember that you're still their customer and they will look out for their own best interests first just as you would yours. So when you are on the lookout for new suppliers especially in the first months of your company’s existence you need to be diligent when searching for vendors. Especially if they're going to be critical to your existence by supplying something you have to have that few companies offer.
So you need to realize that just as your relationship with your customers is important so to is the relationship with your suppliers. Because when you need something in a hurry, or you need to stretch a payment out a little, or you have a large job that won't pay for awhile and you need special terms they'll be more willing to listen to you if they know you by more than a customer number. In business all your relationships are important.
Cash Miller is the Editor of SmallBusinessDelivered.com and hosts his own blog at www.SmallBusinessDelivered.com/cash-millers-blog.
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Your Suppliers Are Your Partners
Every business has some sort of vendor or supplier that they buy from. All businesses either purchase raw materials, finished products or services of some sort. Taking the time to develop a solid relationship with your suppliers can benefit you both. Because the time may come when your company is in need of something and that vendor that you took the time to develop a strong relationship with will come through for you.
By: Cash Miller
Every business has some sort of vendor or supplier that they buy from. All businesses either purchase raw materials, finished products or services of some sort. Taking the time to develop a solid relationship with your suppliers can benefit you both. Because the time may come when your company is in need of something and that vendor that you took the time to develop a strong relationship with will come through for you.
By: Cash Miller
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Entrepreneurs Helping Entrepreneurs
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Even though your business is growing and you've hired your first employees you still need to know their jobs.
Successful Project Management Is Critical!
As your business grows so too will the projects that you will take on. Your customers will push to the limit your ability to complete a project successfully. And more and more each of these jobs will have to be managed individually by trusted project managers.
Take Time For Your Business Education
Learning is an ongoing process and so is your education in business. Taking the time to improve your knowledge and education in business is important if you want to continue to push your business forward. Not doing so could be holding you back.
You Gotta Love The Game!
It was about ten years ago, a few months after I'd first begun my career in small business that my father said to me that small business is the greatest game there is! To this day I still believe that to be true. And just like a ballplayer loving the game he plays. You gotta love the game of small business to want to play it too. I'm glad to once again have found my love for the game!